Dark Temptation Arises (A Swan Queen Fanfic)
by juicecupswanqueen
Summary: Regina and the others use the dagger to summon the New Dark One. What will Emma look like and how she will she behave, now that the Savior is corrupted with darkness?
1. Chapter 1

They stood in the center of Regina's study: Hook, Robin, Mary Margaret and David. Henry was with baby Neal at Granny's and Regina was relieved that he would be safe there, not knowing what was going to happen in this little experiment they were about to try.

She hoped that he would eat. Her son had not eaten or slept since this all happened and of course it was understandable why, but she was worried for him and she shared his concern for Emma as well.

Emma had given everything up for her and she could still remember the agonizing chill, like a stab to the heart, when Emma Swan disappeared in a swirling haze of black; the sound of the Dark One's dagger hitting the ground, in an unforgettable clanging, that was still fresh and horrifying in her mind.

 _She sacrificed herself, her happiness, for me._ No one had ever done something of that magnitude for Regina before. No one.

Clutching the dagger in both hands, its weight foreboding and emotionally heavy, if not physically, she asked everyone, "Are you ready?"

Regina watched the Charmings huddle closer, their arms wrapped around one another and they nodded. She meaningfully caught their gazes. "I… I don't know what's going to happen. I don't know what she will look like, be like…"

Mary Margaret answered first, "Please, Regina. Just do it."

Regina watched the pirate's Adam's apple bob in uncertainty and she clenched her jaw already annoyed with him. Robin grinned sympathetically at her and the frown in her brow carved a deeper line. She didn't want him here and she was not sure why, but since Emma's sacrifice, whenever she looked at Robin, she just felt… guilt.

She took a deep breath, held the dagger up and cleared her throat. In an even tone, careful to enunciate each word properly, the older brunette pleaded, "Dark One, I summon thee. Show yourself and come to me."

The room's occupants remained, standing in their closely shaped circle, waiting, sharing quizzical glances with one another and before Regina could feel disappointment, and a certain amount of mystery, that their attempt to bring Emma back didn't work, a voice spoke from behind all of them in the shadowy corner of the room.

"COME to you, Regina? Those ARE an interesting choice of words."

"Emma!" Mary Margaret rejoiced and made a move to quickly go to her daughter, but David held his wife back, remembering Regina's words that no one knew how or in what form Emma would return as the new Dark One. With scrutinizing eyes, he peered at his daughter all dressed in black leather and with way more cleavage than a father would want to see his daughter sporting, no matter how old she was. Glancing at the other two men in the room, they seemed to take notice of Emma's endowments as well and he wanted to punch both of them for it.

"Emma?" Mary Margaret peeped now, after having had a moment to really look at her daughter and see the change in her. There was definitely darkness, naughtiness, boldness and, the young mother's heart sank, disguised rage. Snow White had seen all these characteristics before and had felt them directed at her such a long time ago by the other dark haired woman in the room who was holding the dagger with a gaping facial expression.

"Hello, Mommy Dearest." The young blonde uncrossed her legs and stood up directly. She swaggered toward all of them and Regina closed her mouth and watched her with a steady gaze.

Besides the dark, rather strongly jagged high back collar top that pushed the woman's breasts up and together forming a pronounced sinful line at her bosom, dark tight pants that left nothing to the imagination, and knee high boots, Emma's face looked flawless, though maybe a little paler, but no less beautiful, than Regina was used to seeing the young woman's porcelain skin. Her eyes were sparkling emeralds and were infused with dark magic. Regina recognized it at once.

Emma paused in front of Hook, looked him up and down and with what seemed like dissatisfaction dismissed him immediately and then she stopped in front of Robin. She sized his form up and down, circled him once and sneered at him.

"I sincerely HOPE you were worth it." The Dark One's eyes narrowed at him, flecks of black glinting in their jewels.

"Emma," David began a little warily, "How do you feel?" She acknowledged her father's voice by just a slight head turn though not fully in his direction.

"Powerful. Invincible. The Darkness is enticing, energizing…" Emma looked directly at Regina, "… But you know first hand what I'm talking about don't you…" For show and in jest, Emma did a formal bow toward Regina and when their eyes met, there was mischief dancing in them, "Your Majesty."

Why her formal title would feel like a caress that smoldered giving birth to sexual awareness, Regina did not know. The former queen visibly gulped as the savior, or Dark One now, dragged those eyes lazily over Regina's body seeming to feast and touch every part they gazed upon and Regina knew that Emma was aware of her inexplicably aroused state.

The dark one flashed an evil grin and with swaying hips moved closer towards Regina as if stalking her prey.

"Emma, love..." Hook started but Emma threw her hand up commandingly.

"Be gone," she ordered and the pirate disappeared instantly amongst gasps.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret scolded instinctively.

The blonde rolled her eyes defiantly and quipped at Regina, "Mothers…"

"What did you do with him, dear?" Regina inquired, doing her level best to regain some control. Emma eyed the older woman's lips as if thirsty for them, which nearly threw Regina off kilter.

The Dark One's tongue indecently moistened her lips making a show out of it, sending Regina the obvious message that she would rather be licking the queen's lips. Regina willed herself to keep her composure still. The Evil Queen invented these tactics and had used them so often. She would not allow herself to be intimidated, though the unexpected awakening of desire was a challenge she hoped she could deal with successfully.

Was this an attraction to Emma Swan? It wouldn't be the first time. Or was this a draw to the darkness? Maybe a little of both.

Regina pasted a sexy smirk on her face and taunted, though not sure why, "Surely you wouldn't have killed your true love?"

The Dark One looked confused for a moment. "My…" Then understanding came quickly and Emma cackled and leaned in closer to Regina's ear. "We BOTH know better than that, don't we?"

"REGINA," Robin bellowed frightened for her safety and made his way to her.

"Join him!" Emma commanded and Robin disappeared in the same cloud of smoke.

"Where did you send them," David asked delicately trying to remain calm. This may be the Dark One but she was also his daughter.

Emma turned and shared glances with her parents and Regina. "No cause for alarm. I assure you, they are alive and untouched. They are merely sitting on the pier," and in a mocking tone added, "… looking at the HORIZON." Emma snorted in disgust.

Mary Margaret and David shared a bewildered look wondering if that should mean something while Regina stood staring at Emma with her signature frown.

"Now. Where's our son?"

"He's safe."

Emma spun on her heels and glared at Regina. "Of course he's safe. Henry has nothing to fear from me."

"We didn't know what to expect." Regina matched Emma's hard look with one of her own. "We thought he'd be safer…"

Emma tsked, "You're hiding him from me."

"No, we're not…"

"It would be unwise to hide him from me."

"Emma… we…"

"QUIET!" Anger was released swiftly and with hand motions Regina found herself with her back plastered against the bookshelf and Mary Margaret and David were rooted to the floor unable to move their feet and Emma… Emma had glided effortlessly and quickly over to Regina as if there were wheels on the bottoms of her feet.

The former savior plastered herself against Regina's body, every inch of them lined up and molded together.

Emma's hands were palm flat against the wall of books; her lips close to the brunette's and their noses were very nearly touching.

Regina could smell Emma, her scent and the close proximity, one they had never shared, robbed her of breath. She wondered if Emma was going to kiss her; it felt like Emma was going to kiss her and God help her, Regina didn't think she'd do anything to stop it.

"Regina…" Emma voice was like warm caramel and those green eyes skittered lasciviously from the brunette's eyes to her ruby red lips. Witnessing Dark Emma wet her lips again, Regina wondered how the woman's tongue could not have touched her mouth they were so close. "… I thought we were past all this, Madame Mayor." On some conscious level Regina was aware that Emma's hands were sliding slowly down the bookshelf on either side of her and Emma's eyes never left her mouth as they did.

Gulping nervously, Regina watched Emma evilly deliver a deeply satisfied grin. She felt the blonde's fingers on her thighs, her THIGHS, as the Dark One stated, "You will NOT keep our son from me again, Regina. We won't go back. I promise you…" Emma's index finger dawdled and lightly drew a line between Regina's breasts and Regina could not hide the mild shiver the touch created. After an acutely pleasurable grin, Emma's eyes sobered and she was all seriousness. "I would never harm Henry."

The blonde's hands returned to the older woman's thighs and began a slow torturous stroke up and down.

"We were so stupid, Regina. So much time wasted when we could have been…" Emma rubbed just the tips of their noses together in the slowest, most flirtatious caress Regina had ever experienced and her eyes widened at the boldness of it, "… seriously enjoying each other, Your Majesty."

Regina felt Emma's fingers curl around the dagger and before she could act, Emma relieved her of it. "I'll take that." The Dark One smiled and moved away, the glimmering knife in her possession. "Not that I don't think I would enjoy being in your capable hands and obeying your EVERY whim." Emma caught a bottom lip naughtily between her teeth, a look of pure debauchery making her sexual meaning apparent. She was wicked, she was naughty, she was unadulterated carnal sensuality and Regina was stunned, unmovable and helpless to defend herself against it. Emma wiggled her eyebrows playfully exactly like the old Emma would.

Regina released a small sigh of relief. She was still there. Emma was still there.

The blonde waved her hand and freed her parents. "Thanks for summoning me back." She looked at Regina, a little longingly for a moment, surprising the mayor. "I expect to see Henry tomorrow."

Tapping the blade against the palm of her hand in contemplation, Emma looked as if she wanted to say something more but thought better of it. "Mom, Dad…" and again in a voice that was all Emma Swan's but also boasted of decadent pleasure, "… Regina. I bid you good night."

With a flourish in her wave, Emma disappeared in a dark purple tornado, leaving her mother to nearly cry with despair into her father's shoulder and for Regina, whose body was still humming in excitement, to slowly slide down the bookcase, sinking to the floor where she sat in utter shock and disbelief.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER SUMMARY:** Emma copes with being the New Dark One. Regina tries to hide how affected she is by Emma's blatant interest in her and Henry meets his mother for the first time since this has all happened.

Of course, Hook and Robin appear because they have to. really, but there is no CS or OQ kisses. I am trying to make their appearances as minimal as I can.

* * *

Emma Swan sat in her leather chair overlooking the town of Storybrooke as the New Dark One. She had an ankle crossed over a knee, tapping the pommel of the dagger against the cushy armrest; her name, which was etched on the side, caught her eye and she stared at it. It had only been a few hours since she had left Regina and her parents. In that time, she had found the perfect location along the mountains to erect her fortress. Okay, maybe fortress was too strong a word, but it made Gold's cabin look like a tool shed. It had high ceilings and windows and a few bedrooms. Her son could take his pick of which ever bedroom he wanted and they could decorate it, with just a flick of her wrist.

Moving back in with Mommy and Daddy Charming was not an option, nor was living at Granny's like she first had when she had arrived in Storybrooke, and she sure as hell wasn't living with Killian on that beat up barnacle rat-trap of his.

Killian. Hook. It was the darndest thing. She remembered telling him that she loved him and on some level she had; had cared for him but the darkness within her made her see him through different eyes. The Dark One knew Hook a lot longer than she did and had been confronted by him many times when it had resided in Gold. Somewhat like memories, she was allowed to see some of the things he had done, and she found him just… lacking. Ignorance was bliss when she chose not to see that particular side of him. She was stupid and instead focused on his more appealing traits that were actually few and far between. He was loving toward her and the hungry orphan in her had always wanted that from someone. He was annoyingly persistent in his pursuit of her and she found that flattering, when she didn't want to punch him in the face. There was also the simple fact that she didn't know what was going to happen the other night when she was going to sacrifice herself for Regina. There was a feeling of finality in the moment and she thought he deserved something from her. It was wrong of her to say what she did because she wasn't ready to. It was what held her back in the loft when she found him alive. She cared for him, yes, but she cared for Neal too and had actually told Neal she loved him as well before she thought she might never see him again. With a sigh, she remembered what she had told Regina. Hook wasn't her true love.

Regina. The blonde let out a tiny laugh on an exhale as she turned the blade upside down in both hands and rubbed the pommel against the tip of her chin in contemplation. She wanted Regina like a blazing hot inferno wanted to consume a whole building and everything in its path. She wanted the woman; all of her. Her desire was staggering and quite unexpected. Mary Margaret would probably try and convince her that it was the new darkness within her and she supposed that to a certain extent that might be true. Dark knew dark, was attracted to it, and the Dark One seemed fascinated by the former Evil Queen. However only Emma knew how long she had really wanted Regina Mills.

Since the Dark One had taken over her body, to make room for the entity living within her, the darkness had pushed buried and oppressed feelings to light and she realized that she had _always_ wanted Regina; from the very first moment they met, before she knew who her parents were, who she was, before she had even met Hook, before Neal had come back into her life… there was Regina. Emma's eyes sparkled with her deep arousal for the woman; Emma wanted the mayor and the Dark One wanted the Queen.

Powerfully vivid Images of them together, writhing naked and entwined permeated her mind and made her hungry for the taste of her son's other mother. Pressing the handle of the dagger into the arm rest again, Emma closed her eyes and wondered what it would feel like to have the mayor rubbing up against her. Tonight, when she was pinning Regina against the bookcase, both of them still clothed, it had taken every bit of her strength not to take the woman in front of her parents, which she realized was extremely inappropriate and morally apprehensible but she wanted to do it anyway. That thought had sensual pleasure spreading through her entire body even now and the Dark One was pleased with the direction her fantasy had taken her. Emma pulled her bottom lip in and thought about kissing Regina and making love to Regina…

The knife clattered to the floor as Emma's hands shot to grasp her head as a loud hissing, almost screaming, went off. Or wait, maybe that was her screaming. She wasn't sure. _No. No love. No kissing. The Dark One is displeased with thoughts such as these._ She could have Regina, possess Regina, but in no way was she allowed to kiss Regina. But she wanted too. _NO! The Dark One forbids it!_ The pain was tearing her apart again. She must think of ways to claim the queen without the queen claiming her.

Her green eyes opened and sunlight was shining through the window and Emma found herself lying on her side, curled up into a ball with tear stained cheeks. She must have blacked out from the excruciating, shrieking pain that had invaded her head.

Slowly waking, she clumsily grabbed the dagger and fought to get up. The Dark One wanted the dagger hidden. It was the first order of business. Then she would be allowed to have coffee if she so wished.

Once the dagger was successfully concealed away, Emma walked through the house and with a wave of her hand, a coffee machine appeared, already brewing coffee. She opened her refrigerator, found it empty, closed it again, and the next time she swung the door open, the shelves were packed with food. She did the same thing with the cupboards, pulling down a simple black coffee mug.

This part may not be so bad, she thought. Her magic had improved 100 times over since she had become the Dark One. Before, she had to concentrate so carefully because she was a fledgling to magic. Now, she could will things to happen simply with a thought. _Like divesting a certain mayor of her clothes._

She nearly slammed her half-filled coffee cup down with that thought. Was she to be plagued with sexual fantasies about Regina all day?

She looked down at her attire. The outfit really made her boobs look bigger than they actually were. Waving a hand at herself, she changed immediately into an outfit that was less "Zorro meets Catwoman" and more fitting for the town sheriff. Her cleavage was still on display but not as lifted and exposed; though still all dressed in black.

Emma had magically summoned all her things from her parents' apartment, which was rather timely and easy. Again she admitted how awesome having magic was and understood a little better now why Regina would be reluctant to give this kind of power up. Reaching down, she snatched her badge off the dresser in her enormous bedroom and clipping the metal star to her belt she glanced at the rather large bed. It was the biggest bed she had ever seen, taking up a good portion of the room. She was sure at least ten people could sleep on it. A daydream of her and Regina tangled in the sheets invaded her mind and she shook it out of her head insistently.

She was nearly about ready to go. The sheriff picked up her gun and weighed it in her hand, scoffed and placed it back in her bedside drawer. What would the Dark One need a gun for?

[X]

"So, she's my mom, but she's not my mom?" Regina watched her son try to grasp the severity of their new circumstances.

"Yes, dear. It's a little complicated to explain." They sat in their usual booth at Granny's and she was glad that Henry was at least eating and though she did not consider French fries appropriate breakfast food, it was the only food he was interested in eating so she had asked Granny to make Henry a plateful and the old werewolf happily agreed to. Just this once, she thought.

"But you said that you could still see Emma in there right? I mean she's not all dark and evil?"

"No, Henry, she's not." When Regina finally had some free time to think last night, alone in her bedroom, she remembered seeing more of Emma than the Dark One in mannerisms and endearing facial expressions; when she wasn't thinking about all the ways Emma was essentially coming on to her. The astounding part was that Regina got the distinct impression that, while Emma was in fact suffused with the Dark One, the interest in her sexually was all coming from Emma, which was shocking; as if the darkness gave her courage to make her desire known and Regina had to wonder just how long Emma had felt that way.

Suddenly the entire restaurant went silent and Regina caught her son staring at the front door, so she knew who she would find when she swiveled her head around. Standing in the doorway was Emma Swan, dressed from head to toe in black; a black blouse, opened generously near the top to expose smooth fair skin, tucked into black tight jeans with black leather boots laced up to mid-calf, and over the blouse, a short tight black leather jacket.

Looking around the establishment, the new customer smirked and pulled aside her jacket to reveal the glinting metal of her badge, just in case anyone wondered what she was doing in town.

"Well, good morning to you too, citizens of Storybrooke. Your sheriff has arrived."

At that, every head in the place turned towards Regina for guidance, which she found completely ironic. On a sigh, Regina lifted her gaze to Emma and found the sheriff's eyes boring into hers with a deeply pleased grin on her face and those sparkling green eyes were less than subtle as sexual interest danced in them.

Regina turned back around and gulped as Emma made her way over to the booth. Standing at their table, the blonde mother bent and placed an affectionate palm on Henry's cheek then let it slid to the back of his head to ruffle his hair playfully, like she had done numerous times before, "Hey, Henry."

"Mom?"

"Yeah, it's me."

Regina watched her teenage son look the woman over and impulsively slide out of the booth hurriedly and hug his mother, clutching her around the waist.

She noticed Emma's arms, hesitant at first, but then wrap around Henry's shoulders tightly gripping him to her and rocking ever so gently and Regina pursed her lips in an attempt to keep her emotions at bay. There was still love there and that meant there was hope.

When her son and his mother split apart and Emma held his chin momentarily so they could share a meaningful smile, Henry got into his side of the booth, sliding all the way in so his mom could slide in after him, like she normally would have. However Regina could feel the blonde's eyes perusing her again before Emma bent and unusually slid in beside Regina, nudging the mayor's body with her own, encouraging her to make room for the younger woman.

Regina cleared her throat as Emma purposefully touched their thighs together underneath the table. The brunette tried to keep her face normal for her son who was studying them, his eyes darting from one mother to the other and then his brow furrowed when Emma's arm stretched out on the seat back behind Regina, almost as if taking his older mother into an embrace.

There was nothing usual about this and diner patrons were whispering to each other already about how if they hadn't known any better it would almost seem as if Emma Swan was staking her claim on Regina Mills. It was bizarre, Regina thought, and very exciting at the same time, damn it.

"Good morning, Your Majesty." Regina couldn't help the intake of breath at her title dropping again from Emma's lips like an illicitly spoken caress.

"Good morning…" Suddenly, Regina was uncertain what to call her. This whole situation was damn confusing.

"Now Regina, it's still me," though the sudden achingly slow circles Emma was drawing with her finger on the back of the queen's shoulders belied her. "I've always liked the way you called me Miss Swan. It was so prim and sexy as hell." Regina's eyes that were focused on the dark liquid in her coffee cup lifted and demurely studied Emma's face and when it was met with a look of sheer longing, with Emma's tongue darting out to wet her lips, Regina looked to her son, wondering whether he was watching their interaction. Sure enough, Henry's eyes darted between Emma and Regina while the French fry in his hand was disappearing slowing into his mouth, chew by chew.

Why it was on the tip of her tongue to flirt back, Regina did not know, so she opted for an ordinary, "Good morning, Emma."

"Even better," Emma leaned in nearly whispering toward her ear, sending a shiver running down her spine, and not in a bad way. _Good grief!_

Regina lifted her coffee cup to her lips and offered in a normal tone, "Can I interest you in a cup of coffee this morning?" Buying the Dark One coffee was probably a good step in the right direction. She was enjoying Emma touching her shoulder and back far too much, considering that the two women rarely touched at all and when she felt Emma finger her bra's shoulder strap, as if wanting to rid her of it, Regina willed herself to sip her coffee slowly as if not affected at all. The Queen was a good actress when she needed to be.

However, she almost faltered when Emma huskily replied, "For starters," and when she placed her coffee cup down and again eyed Emma she couldn't help the pang of arousal she felt; she was inexplicably drawn to Emma in a way that she had not been since that first year they met. The savior was the same and yet different. She seemed impossibly bolder and more forthcoming in honesty. Regina was bewildered with all this flagrant truthfulness.

"Ma? Are you feeling okay?"

Emma smiled at Regina, while hungrily eying the brunette's lips one last time before facing her son. "Yes, Henry. I've never felt better and more adamant about having what I want." She looked to Regina for that last part of her statement and again the mayor hid how affected she was at the blatant flirtation. "And what I want now is some breakfast."

Flagging down a waitress, Emma rattled off her order, "Morning Kimberly," Emma flashed her usual smile and Kimberly blushed more than usual and Regina frowned a little deeper. "I will have the Eggs Benedict, with a side of pancakes and a hot cup of coffee."

"Sure thing, Sheriff, and may I say that I, for one, am relieved to see you in one piece." Kimberly eyed Emma coquettishly and added, "From what we've heard happened, why, I say you look as _fine_ as ever." Using the back tip of her pen, Kimberly dragged it slowly along the back of Emma's hand and Regina's brown eyes narrowed, but before anything else could happen, Kimberly disappeared with a flash of her pearly white teeth, an obvious open invitation, but Emma just looked at Regina and Henry, eyes only for them. The older woman frowned wondering why she was so relieved that Emma was not interested in Kimberly's forwardness.

A cup of coffee was placed in front of Emma and she sipped it carefully and was content spending time with her family when a shadow crossed over her right shoulder, then two. The table's occupants looked up to find Hook and Robin Hood standing there.

"Gentlemen. Did you enjoy _all_ that the _horizon_ had to offer last night?" Emma smirked into her coffee cup and her eyes glinted mischievously. "Some find it romantic, though, I surely don't."

Regina noticed Hook flinch uncomfortably and wondered what that was all about and then his eyes burned bitterly. "Swan, might I have a word?"

"You can have whatever you like, Killian, except for my time right now because I am having breakfast with my family."

Regina's lips parted in surprise at Emma's inclusive statement and her eyes immediately went to Robin only out of curiosity and she found his narrowed fiercely at the Dark One.

"Regina," Robin started, "We need to…"

"What part of 'my family is having breakfast' do you not understand, Locksley?"

Regina should be livid at Emma behaving so territorially, she knew, but she wasn't. She was more baffled and inquisitive about this side of Emma. She was certain this was not the Dark One. This was all Emma. The darkness was emboldening her to do and say things she might have otherwise kept hidden. Regina knew. It took your inner rage, lust, and emotion and magnified it tenfold.

Emma sighed loudly, "Would you like to speak to your _boy toy,_ My Queen?" Was Regina the only one who heard a slight emphasis on "my"?

Startled, Regina opened her mouth and only a guttural sound came out. She didn't particularly want to speak to Robin but she guessed she'd better. Clearing her throat, she continued, "I suppose I should."

Emma shot her a look of disappointment that touched something deep inside her and Regina was suddenly and strangely annoyed with Robin's presence.

"Oh fine." Emma rolled her eyes and said to Robin. "Don't look at me with that face. It creeps me out." After she slid out of the booth to allow Regina to slide out too, Emma flipped her palm open and there was a small box in it. She handed it to Regina and advised, "Give him one of these, please."

Then, Emma sat back down and Regina read the packet in her palm. _Laxative Tablets._ Amusedly, the mayor dipped her head and pocketed the item in her palm before anyone else could see it.

When she and Robin cleared the table, Emma waved her hand and a chair slid up quickly catching Hook on the back of the knees and forcing him to sit down at the table.

"Let's get this over with, shall we?"

Robin grabbed Regina's elbow and steered her away while she looked back sad to miss the conversation that would take place at the table. Hopefully Henry would fill her in later.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER SUMMARY:** The story continues in the diner where Emma and Hook have a discussion. Later at her office, Regina has a visitor.

* * *

Henry watched the pirate talk and wave his hooked hand as if he was pleading some sort of court case while his blonde mother, the new Dark One, was nonchalant to his request for her attentions. The young teen noticed that she was wearing more black than he had ever seen her wear before.

"Swan," Hook begged as Henry picked up another French fry and nibbled on it slowly pushing the morsel of potato over to the side of his mouth. He wondered suddenly if Hook was going to cry because the man's eyes appeared to be moist. Emma however picked up her teaspoon and stared into the back of it, holding it up to see if she could see Regina and Robin, who were just outside the door.

Henry shifted enough to the side to see Robin, agitated, waving his arms and his dark haired mother with her hands on her hips looking as if she might curse him at any minute.

All of a sudden Hook's palm made a loud crack as he slammed it down angrily on the table, making Henry and the diner's other customers jump. "Look at me, dammit!"

Emma, who was unfazed by it all, turned her head and narrowed her eyes at him. _Uh oh._ Henry became instantly nervous. He knew that look. It had never been directed at him with such blood-thirsty fierceness before, but he knew that look. It was the do not mess with me look or I will ground your ass 'til kingdom come, only he was sure Hook would get something more serious and painful than revoked video games, TV and smart phone privileges. Henry's eyes shifted to Killian who gulped and fidgeted in his seat, though his eyes never left Emma's.

Her jaw clenched as she leaned in slowly and snarled at him, "Do NOT provoke me, Killian." It sounded like a warning but Henry couldn't help but think it also a dare. Was his mother daring Hook to provoke her so that she would have a reason to… to what? What would Emma, or the Dark One, do to the pirate if he displeased her. The light in her eyes softened a fraction then and she leaned back and picked up her coffee and said, "You have been warned."

After she sipped from her mug she turned to Henry and the reassuring grin she gave him was so genuinely Emma that Henry returned it, feeling some relief.

"Look…" Emma offered, resting against the back of the booth and glancing at Hook, "You are owed a conversation about this and I will make this as painless as I possibly can." She sighed and Henry thought he detected a little sympathy. "It's over, Killian. My feelings have changed and I don't want this anymore." At Hook's audible gasp, Emma threw a rather clichéd excuse that Henry saw in movies and yet her delivery was almost comical, Henry noted. "It's not you," she shrugged, "…It's me."

The teen whipped his head to the pirate who slumped and lifted his narrowing eyes toward her. "But you said you loved me."

"That was then," the blonde gestured with a wave, "…this is now." The sheriff spun in her seat and eyed the couple outside the front window again and huffed impatiently, Henry suspected, waiting for Regina to return.

"That was _two_ nights ago!" Hook argued.

Emma shook her head and shrugged, "Time is a funny thing."

Henry picked up his iced tea and rolled his eyes into it. This was not going the pirate captain's way and the frustration on Killian's face almost made Henry sympathize with him – almost. Quite honestly, Henry was hoping that his mom would have a change of heart and dump the guy sooner rather than later. Ever since they came back from their year in New York, even when Henry couldn't remember him, he had been leery of Hook. The young teen had gotten to decipher those men who were genuine from those who only wanted to get into Emma's pants. His "jerk alert" had been going off like crazy as soon as Hook stepped into their New York apartment and he disliked the man instantly. He had done a good job in pretending that he was okay with them dating and if Emma really liked him, there was little Henry could do. No man could replace Neal, his father, and he resented the way Hook tried to step in thinking if he got in good with Henry, then he would get in good with Emma. Henry had hoping that one day his mother would come to her senses.

Sucking remnants of potato from his teeth, he studied the scraggily bearded man, then Emma. Hook was staring at her beseechingly while she ignored him and forked Eggs Benedict into her mouth as if she had not eaten in weeks. When Emma took a pancake and piled some of her breakfast on it, Henry winced. She proceeded to add bacon, syrup and then wrapped it up like a taco. Being the Dark One must work up a killing hunger.

"Emma, please. I love you."

Without looking at him or swallowing, she nodded with a mouthful, the words barely understandable, "I know." She took one of Henry's fries, winked at Henry and shoved that into her mouth.

"Well?!" Hook demanded desperately, obviously upset with Emma's indifference to him and quite possibly her unusual breakfast choice. "Doesn't that mean _anything_ to you?!"

Emma stopped suddenly, glanced at him and after her eyes darted from one thing to another, seeming to seriously consider it, she cocked her head to the side casually and then shook it. "No." Then she took another enormous bite of her eggs benedict-bacon-syrup-pancake concoction, as Henry sputtered into his ice tea in surprised amusement at her glib reply.

Hook was livid. The chair he was sitting on crashed to the floor roughly when he sprang to his feet. The muscles in his face worked furiously and if Henry didn't know any better he thought Hook might explode on the spot, leaving nasty pirate remains all over the place. Everyone turned to them and that seemed to gain Regina's attention outside as she came running up to the door leaving Robin clearly exasperated. His brunette mom swung the door open and stared in their direction and he wondered who she was more concerned about him or Emma. It was probably him and if you had asked him an hour and a half ago, that's what he would have said. However, watching his moms sitting close together, on the same side of the booth, had presented him with ideas that he had not had in a year or so. Suspicions he had once had long ago.

The pirate's menacing glare bore into Emma's face as he threatened, "I will avenge my love, Dark One. You've taken her and I will not rest until you pay."

The Dark One scoffed, "Like that worked _so_ well for you last time." Emma picked up her coffee and halted it at her lips when he was still throwing daggers at her with his eyes.

"I promise you."

The blonde sheriff chewed slowly and sat up straighter, as if contemplating what he was saying. "You're _serious_ aren't you?" It almost sounded like she was taunting him, not believing that he would make good on his threat and for the first time in minutes, Henry was really scared. Not for Hook, but for Emma. What would Hook do to Emma?

"I will destroy you, Dark One."

A maniacal glint sparkled in Emma's green eyes and Henry could have sworn that they changed for a brief moment. Then the pleasure of a battle seemed to take his mother over and she evilly sneered at the man. It looked like she would have torn him apart except she remembered herself and she turned her gaze to Henry. Her eyes floundered suddenly and her posture and expression relaxed. "Don't make promises that you can't keep, Killian," she retorted instead, pivoting back to her breakfast and Henry breathed a sigh of relief.

"Henry?" Regina sidled up to Hook, looking to Henry first and then to Emma. "Emma? Is everything okay?"

A light shown in Emma's countenance then and she tilted her head throwing Regina her most dazzling smile. "It is _now,_ Regina." No one missed the flirtation in the blonde's voice, not even Henry, and Regina was caught off guard again by the raw interest for her in the sheriff's eyes. Hook saw it too and he bitterly glared at Regina before walking around her and stomping out of the restaurant.

The dark haired woman rolled her eyes upward and closed them on a sigh only to open them again when Emma scoffed into another weirdly unusual breakfast burrito, "I know. _Fairytale Dudes_ , huh?" Her food was halfway to her mouth when she spied Henry and she winked again and smiled affectionately at him, "You lucked out, kid."

"Regina," Robin enunciated slowly seeming to test the waters as he drew nearer. "Um… We weren't done with our conversation." Henry noticed his older mother's jaw work impatiently and gathered that their conversation wasn't going well either. He mulled that over as he gobbled up two French fries at once. The prospect of both his mothers willingly giving up the loser men in their lives was a rather welcome idea. The former woodland thief directed his gaze at the blonde who was staring at her food and looking a little more irritated by the minute, Henry observed. "Emma…"

"Pinenuts." Henry snorted at Emma's greeting and quieted immediately after receiving a pointed stare from Regina.

The older woman whirled and raised an eyebrow down at the Dark One. She had never seen Emma Swan eat so much so fast before, and she knew the savior had a healthy appetite. With her signature haughtiness she peered down her nose at Emma, much like she had when they first met years ago and quipped sarcastically. "Are we hungry, Miss Swan?"

With a crisp strip of bacon in her hand, Emma held it to her lips and let her eyes roam indecently up and down Regina's body, making sure the mayor knew exactly that there wasn't an innocent thought about it. When her perusal reached Regina's eyes, Emma's smug grin was playful. Their eyes held and Emma said just one word and its sexual connotation was not lost on anyone. "Ravenous." The the snap and crunch of the bacon was heard accompanied by Regina's sharp intake of breath.

Robin's eyes darted in jealousy between Regina and Emma, while Henry's eyes moved curiously between all three.

"Now wait just a minute…" Robin raged. He came closer to Emma to stake his claim on Regina, but the brunette held her hands out stopping him before he could do something rash.

"Robin, don't be foolish."

"But…"

"I'd listen to her, Tree Stump." Emma casually threw an arm up against the back of the booth and eyed him holding her coffee mug. "You don't want to mess with the Dark One." For effect, the blonde added, waving her hands in pretend fear, "Oooooooh…"

Regina frowned incredulously and looked over her shoulder at Emma as if to say with her eyes, "Really?" While Henry bit his lip to keep from laughing.

"This is insane!" Robin threw his hands up in the air and said to Regina, "What is she going to do to me? She's not going to kill me or she would have done it already."

Emma shrugged offhandedly, "Eh, the day is still early."

"Emma."

"Ma."

Regina and Henry both spoke at the same time hoping that the blonde was just kidding. The Dark one leaned over her food again, grabbed a couple of Henry's fries and dipped it into the leftover hollandaise sauce from her breakfast. "Oh relax! I'm not going to kill him." She threw Robin a warning look, "But tempt me and I may give you four extra testicles. How would that be?" Regina gaped at Emma, Robin bristled and Henry's face twisted and he couldn't help but grab his own crotch uncomfortably at the thought. "Then that dopey _painful expression_ you're always wearing will be warranted."

Emma reached a finger out and invitingly brushed it against the side of Regina's hand causing the woman to gasp at the touch and Robin's eyes to narrow.

"Listen, you," Robin seethed. "I've had just about enough."

The blonde rolled her eyes, while he blustered on, and mimicked Robin's hysteria to Henry with her hand opening and closing to the movement of the man's jabbering mouth and again Henry tried to stifle a laugh.

To get her attention, the former thief, propped his fists on the table, like some territorial gorilla, and leaned forward in an intimidating manner. "I'm not afraid of you, Swan. I have dealt with all manner of villainy," this earned him a reproachful, outraged look from Regina, "so I know how to deal with the likes of you."

Henry knew he was only thirteen but even he could see the stupidity in Robin's bravado. He saw Regina shaking her head in disapproval and rolling her eyes at his ill-advised, brainless actions. He expected Emma to be upset and angry, but she looked up at him like she wanted to laugh in his face. If Robin thought he could frighten Emma, even in the least bit, he had another think coming.

Emma leaned closer and with an evil chuckle said, "Don't bet on it," and then with a wave of her hand she cast some sort of spell. Or curse, Henry thought biting the inside of his cheek.

Regina frowned having sensed a small surge of magic in their vicinity. "Emma… What did you do?" Regina was more curious than alarmed while Robin now had the belated good sense to be worried.

Suddenly his body snapped up, ramrod straight, and his eyes goggled. He opened and closed his mouth in utter distress and looked from Emma to Regina, who inspected his form but could not detect anything amiss.

With a clamor he ran for the door and bolted from Granny's, running like a madman down the street.

Emma was grinning from ear to ear and shaking her head. She wiped her mouth with her napkin and exited the booth, placing a hand on Regina's lower back and keeping it there, Regina noticed.

"Come on, Henry, you're going to be late for school."

"What did you do, Miss Swan?!"

Henry exited the booth and joined his two moms. Emma put an arm around his shoulder and kept the other hand on Regina's back. The sheriff smiled and made both their jaws drop by saying, "Let's just say, he's no longer constipated."

[X]

Regina stood by her office window, tapping the back of her Montblanc pen against an open palm and peered out at the town. Today looked like any other ordinary day. There was Archie with Pongo, walking alongside him. Three minutes later, Miss Lucas ran by, surely on her way to the docks, getting a morning jog in before she had to start her shift at Granny's Diner. Moe's flower truck drove by to make its morning deliveries. Regina lifted an eyebrow as she saw two of Storybrooke's newest residents, Maleficent and her daughter, Lily, walking close to one another, talking and strolling. To the naked eye, nothing would seem amiss about this slightly overcast morning.

However, today was vastly different from a few days ago. Walking to her desk, she picked up her telephone and opened her photos folder and thumbed through the files to the secret image, an image no one knew she had of Emma Swan. Henry had showed it to her some months ago. The blonde looked happy gazing at their son, her eyes sparkled and her dimples winked. In her mind, she could see the animation even though the photo remained still. When her son was busy elsewhere, she had quickly grabbed his phone and sent the image to herself via sms and then erased all evidence. Every now and then she would steal a peek at Miss Swan; during her lunch break, while in a boring meeting, carefully at the diner so no one knew. Sometimes even at home while in bed at night, after having just worked on some documents, her phone would sit on her side table and she would reach over, take it into her hands and study the image of the woman she shared a son with. Then she would put the phone down with unexplained exasperation, pinch the bridge of her nose, extinguish the lamp and drift off to sleep, thinking of grey tank tops, bantering blondes and grilled cheese sandwiches.

"Regina." The soft voice came from her door and Regina quickly activated sleep mode on her phone. Mary Margaret's head had poked through it and when she saw the room empty she came in and forlornly sat on the sofa.

"Mary Margaret, why aren't you working?"

"They called a substitute in." An incredulous short burst of laughter came from the younger woman and Regina sat on the chair facing her. "They told me to go home. Spend time with my family. Grieve." The woman seemed lost in her own sadness but then whipped her head up angrily at Regina. " _Grieve?!_ They're treating this like a fucking bereavement!"

Regina's head jerked back in surprise to hear the woman swear. As far back as she could remember she had never heard Mary Margaret curse. Not even Snow White, come to think of it. Regina frowned and leaned forward, whether in helpfulness or helplessness she couldn't tell. She was just certain that she didn't know what to do about this sorry situation. Regina didn't really have much experience for being Snow White's pillar of support anyway.

"My daughter is _not_ dead!"

"Of course she's not!" Regina frowned, a line cutting into her forehead and added, "I just spent the morning with her and believe me, I know a dead person when I see one."

"You saw Emma?"

The mayor rolled her eyes. "I believe that's what I just said."

"Regina, how did she look?"

" _Hungry."_ Regina smiled inwardly at the memory of watching Emma eat with such gusto. " _You eat like a child."_ Yes, there were some things the darkness hadn't been able to change. The older brunette suddenly took a little comfort from that.

"David sent me a message this morning when she walked into the station saying that she looks pretty much the same… except all in black. He sent me another message a minute ago frustrated because he's been trying to get her to button a few buttons on her blouse and she's told him to get used to it."

A small smile threatened to creep across Regina's face again and she bit on the inside of her cheek to keep it from spreading. The mayor had noticed the deep-v of the savior's blouse earlier as well and was sure their son did too, but a lot was happening during breakfast with more pressing matters to deal with. Besides, she thought, as the former Evil Queen, who was _she_ to lecture anyone about cleavage.

"What are we going to do, Regina?"

Ordinarily, the older woman would wipe her hands clean of the problem and let the Charmings deal with their own trouble, but then of course later get involved anyway. This was different though. This was Emma. This was Henry's other mother. With a sigh, Regina thought, this was the woman who repeatedly, and irritatingly, saved her life on several occasions. It's not that Regina wasn't grateful, but exactly _why_ did the woman continue to sacrifice herself for her?

"I don't know, Snow." Regina only used Mary Margaret's real name in this world under the utmost urgency. She really had no answer for the young woman and she watched her shoulders slump and after she sighed, Mary Margaret looked to just remember something.

"So you were at Granny's today when Emma broke up with Hook?"

"She broke up with him?" Regina knew there was tension between the pirate and the Dark One, but she had not had the chance to interrogate Henry on what had happened. She could very well see how they might have broken up, what with Emma's flirtations toward her and Hook's death glare in her direction. And she thought that possibly, nowadays, she wouldn't have to deal with such menacing glances thrown her way. Not that she cared. She couldn't care less what Killian Jones thought of her. She, quite frankly, hated the man. He was a repulsive cretin and not deserving of Miss Swan.

"That's what the town grapevine is reporting. She told him that she didn't love him and that she didn't want him anymore." Mary Margaret shook her head in disapproval. "Ouch."

"And what do _you_ think about the break-up?" Regina had never come out and actually asked Mary Margaret what her feelings were on her daughter's love life. The woman volunteered information before: that she was happy that Emma was just starting to find love, and that she wanted the best for her daughter.

"Honestly?"

Regina waited a beat and uttered, "Mm…" urging the woman to continue.

Mary Margaret leaned against the back of the couch and with a quick inhale admitted, "I'm relieved…" When Regina's lips parted in surprise and she pointedly stared at the woman, her former step-daughter continued, "I never really felt comfortable with her being with him. I mean why _him_ of all people? Neal was such a good man…" Regina's brow furrowed doubtfully. "Besides the whole calling the cops on her and leaving her in prison."

"And David? Did he like Hook?"

"Are you kidding? He wanted to murder Hook in Neverland. Then Killian saved his life and he felt obligated. However, Killian courting Emma never sat right with him either. But who are we to say anything?" Mary Margaret looked down at her folded hands and twiddled her fingers. "Emma's our daughter and yet… she's not." She looked up to Regina with a melancholy grin. "She's her own person." She chuckled, "Surprise! You're parents to a 28 year old woman!"

The older woman's eyes darted off to the side so as not to express her amazement at this new bit of information. She had always thought that the pirate had the Charming Seal of Approval.

At that moment, her mobile phone on the table vibrated and upon picking it up and recognizing the Caller ID, she activated the call. "Hello?"

"She's there isn't she?" Regina's eyes shot to Mary Margaret who was staring down at the sofa table rather despondently. The usually cheerful school teacher looked to herself then and picked a piece of thread off her sweater. The mayor opened her mouth to answer and as soon as a sound came out, barely even a syllable, Emma stated quickly, "Don't tell her it's me."

Regina immediately fell silent and gripped the phone tighter and willed her eyes not to widen in front of Mary Margaret at Emma's abrupt request.

"Okay." That one word answered Emma's question and her wish that her identity not be revealed. However, her tone also displayed slight disapproval and Emma picked up on it and sighed.

"Look, I know she's worried and it's not that I don't want to see her, Regina, but the last thing I need is Mary Margaret coming down here and mother-hen-ing me to death!" She could hear the frustration in the blonde sheriff's voice. "I've already got one parent chasing me around the office trying to get me to button my clothes."

Refraining from rolling her eyes, Regina let curiosity win over. "How can I be of service today?"

After a long pause and with a tone of innuendo, the savior naughtily replied, "Do you really want me to answer that?"

The mayor shifted in her seat, lips parting and heart racing. Just what, exactly, was Emma Swan trying to pull? Because ever since the savior, the Dark One, the _savior_ had pinned her up against the bookcase in her study, the woman had done nothing but outwardly flirt with her and it was causing quite a stir of feelings inside Regina.

"This could be fun," the sheriff's voice took on a sexy timbre. "Shall I whisper sinful favors from you in your ear while my mother is in the room?" Then at Regina's choked sound, "I know exactly how you can service me with that very royal, regal mouth of yours."

She clutched the phone impossibly tighter wondering how the plastic casing had not been crushed under her grip. She found Mary Margaret looking at her then mouthing "Is everything ok?"

Regina stared at the woman for a moment while she kept sudden thoughts of her mouth anywhere on her daughter's body at bay. The blonde picked that moment to further taunt, "Shall I tell you of all the things I want to do to _you_ , Your Majesty?"

Her thighs clenched and rubbed together suddenly as a rush of lust coursed through her system. _What the hell is going on here?_

Her voice cracked and sounded husky to her ears when she tried for a prim reply, "That won't be necessary." She soothed her office visitor's deepening frown with a palm up and a shake of her head, letting Mary Margaret know that concern wasn't needed and that seemed to appease the woman for she relaxed again. She also heard the the savior give a hearty chuckle.

"Believe it or not, this wasn't why I called." Regina breathed a sigh of relief and Emma wasted no more time. "I want to invite you and Henry to the _Lair_ tomorrow night. That's what I'm calling my place on the East Mountain." The mayor blinked at the invitation and Emma went on, "It's no castle with a dungeon but it works for me."

Regina raised a quizzical eyebrow at the mention of her castle in the Enchanted Forest and became curious of the blonde's new home.

"That sounds fine."

"Excellent. Is there anything special you and the kid want on the menu?"

"I'll leave that up to you."

"Very well. I'll pick you and Henry up at 6:30 at your place." There was excitement evident in the woman's voice and before she ended the call, the sheriff's voice lustfully deepened. "I'm looking forward to it, Regina."

The woman didn't say her name any differently so why was it having such a profoundly different effect on her now?

"Understood. Yes. Thank you for calling."

"See you tomorrow, Regina." There was her name again. Regina disconnected the call before she could do something silly like uncharacteristically whimper into the phone.

She needed to go to her vault immediately; needed to see what answers her magic books might hold for her about this. All she knew was that she was feeling pursued by Emma, who was also the Dark One, and she liked to be prepared for whatever outcome that could include.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Summary:** Regina and Henry join Emma for dinner at the Dark One's newly constructed home on the East Mountain.

* * *

Emma stood outside 108 Mifflin Street, visually tracing the outline of Regina's house with a slight frown etched into her forehead. She had not been here since she was summoned back a few days ago.

Being ten minutes early, her eagerness to see Henry and Regina again had grown to enormous proportions and she looked forward to showing them her new home, which was rather impressive admittedly. More furniture had been added to fill its near empty rooms and she had a surprise awaiting for Henry that she was bursting at the seams to show him.

Looking at the front lawn, she flashed back to the first time she had met Regina Mills. Like a hologram, a transparent image of a stunning short haired woman opened the front door and scrambled down the stoop because she couldn't get to her missing son fast enough. Even while rushing, Emma could still remember the elegance and sophistication of Regina's style; her attire fitting her lithe body perfectly while showcasing all her womanly curves. The newcomer's attention had been transfixed immediately and since then she had always been attracted to the formal evil queen and mayor. She admitted to herself, silently, that she should be commended for hiding it so well.

The door opened a crack and Henry appeared. "Hey, Ma. You want to come in or stand out there and watch the paint chip?"

"Smart ass." She mumbled under her breath and continued up the walk. The older he got, the more sarcastic he got and she couldn't figure out if he got it from her, Regina or both.

Once inside, she stood in the middle of the foyer, revolving on a heel slowly to take in her surroundings. There was the doorway she had leaned against when Regina offered her a glass of her first homemade apple cider. Through that doorway, into the kitchen, was where Regina gave her a poisoned apple turn over. Naughty Regina, Emma smirked inwardly. Looking at the last door, in her walk down Memory Lane, she thought of the séance in the study when they had tried to summon Cora, during which Emma had been able to hold Regina's hand for five whole minutes. The mayor had been stunning that night dressed in a sexy gold colored blouse, worn teasingly to show off the top lace of her bra or camisole or whatever it was underneath that had driven Emma crazy.

"So where's your mom?"

"She's upstairs getting ready. I think she's running a little late. I'm on level twelve of Zombie Kill. You want to come check it out?"

Emma was looking at the top of the stairs and replied, "Um… Not right now, but you go ahead. I want to talk to your mom."

Henry shrugged and turned to continue playing his game and Emma climbed the stairs at a leisurely pace and upon arriving on the second floor, strolled down the hall until she stood outside Regina's bedroom door. With an upward curve to her lips, she knocked lightly.

"Oh good, Henry," she heard Regina talking while walking drawing closer, "I need you to…" the door swung open, "… zip me up."

The woman's brown eyes widened and her lips parted in surprise to find Emma leaning against the door jamb donned in a fitted black tuxedo suit with a blouse plunging into a deep "v" in the front; somewhat revealing but yet tasteful. Her blonde tresses were pulled back at the sides and fell with the rest if her locks down her back.

"Emma." Regina's astonished face broke into a tremulous smile. "You're early."

"Just four minutes early now to be precise. I counted."

"Interesting…"

"That I can count?"

"No." Regina raised an eyebrow and quipped, "That it took getting sucked up into a funnel cloud of darkness for you to be punctual."

Emma couldn't help the spear of attraction just then. God, she wanted the Queen.

"So, turn around and let me zip you up."

A look of awkwardness crossed the woman's features.

"I can magic it…"

"Regina, I'm right here. Don't be silly. Turn around."

The older woman frowned at her and then slowly spun around exposing the dress' unzipped back.

Emma inhaled slowly so as not to give away her obvious arousal at the sight. The red dress gaped, displaying creamy skin and a black bra strap. Green eyes lowered to where the zipper tab was and her focus immediately shifted to the lacy edge of the woman's matching panties. The sexy dip of the woman's back just above it beckoned to be licked before one might proceed even lower; perhaps even pulling the elastic band down over voluptuous hidden delights. Emma fought the urge to kneel and carry out her heart's desires.

Instead, she raised her hand and let her knuckles graze along Regina's smooth skin as she took the material between her thumb and fingers.

Regina gasped a warning at the contact. "Emma..."

The blonde immediately answered, "I like the dress," though her voice was huskier than usual. "The fabric feels very… soft."

Regina gulped, trying to ignore the sensations that Emma's touch ignited in her simply by having the backs of the woman's fingers gliding along her body. The younger woman's words explained it away innocently enough, but her touch was sinful as hell.

The brunette felt the fabric being drawn together and Emma moved closer as she began to zip Regina up.

Breathing into her ear, Emma startled her. "You know, you would have asked me to do this for you before. Why are you so shy all of a sudden, Regina?" The zipper climbed slowly, feeling oddly like an indecent caress, though why it would, escaped her. Its pressure and rasp was so slow that if ever a dress being zipped was a representation of a slow lick up one's body, then this was it.

Regina turned toward Emma, who smiled charmingly at her while propping a forearm up on the door jamb and leaning in closely. The younger woman exuded raw sexuality. "That was before you started ogling me like I was a hot fudge sundae." The savior's sexy mouth crooked and Regina continued, "You haven't exactly been subtle about it."

Emma glanced up thoughtfully and drew nearer to the queen with a bravado thick with temptation. Regina forced herself to stay where she was in a show that the queen would not back down, but again, just like up against the bookcase pinned under Emma, she felt a stirring deep in her loins at them being so close.

Emma's lascivious scan of her face ultimately rested on her lips. "Good. It makes my task easier."

Regina leaned in now bringing them even closer. Regina was playing with fire, she knew, but no one intimidated the queen. "And what would that be?"

The blonde waited a beat and then divulged, "To _seduce_ you."

Regina's lidded gaze focused hypnotically on the Savior's mouth. Kissing Emma Swan had crossed her mind before; ever since the first time they had met outside her house in fact. In private, Regina had always found it odd that she had been attracted to the woman so quickly. Looking at Emma now, the frisson of sexual awareness humming in the air between them, Regina decided that one little taste couldn't hurt, right?

They shared the same air, wanting this kiss badly. Just as their lips were about to meet, Emma's sharp hiss broke the mood and a look of concern was born on Regina's striking features.

"Emma, are you alright?" Regina reached out to steady the blonde, who swayed and clutched her head.

"Yeah… yeah. Just a headache I've been dealing with."

"A… headache." Regina repeated dubiously and peered into her face. This did not seem like an ordinary headache and it was worrying, especially that it came on so suddenly. "Should we take a raincheck on tonight?"

"No!" There was no way that Emma was going to miss this opportunity to spend the evening with Regina and Henry. She had been looking forward to this all day, yesterday and today. "I mean… it's nothing a couple of Tylenol can't fix."

Regina narrowed her eyes, evaluating the younger woman's condition and when she was satisfied that they didn't have to cancel their dinner, she pointed inside her room. "Would you like some?"

Emma looked in the direction Regina was gesturing toward and her eyes settled on the big inviting bed. A wicked grin spread across her lips and Regina pointedly glared at her but while wearing a whisper of a smile herself.

"I am pointing to the bathroom, Miss Swan. Where the medicine cabinet is."

Emma chuckled and shook her head, her eyes dazzling with mischief when they met Regina's again and she just sighed at the queen, "Hmmm… pity."

With a show of disbelief at her brazen attention, Regina said, "You baffle me, Emma."

"That's just the tip of the iceberg of the things I plan to do to you, Regina."

The only change in the brunette's stance was the lustful radiance in her eyes, as if a wick had been lit and the countdown to an explosion had begun.

To detour the direction of their thoughts, Regina reached up and switched the light off. "Shall we go?"

[X]

That must never happen again, Regina thought to herself, standing before the enormous window of Emma's new home and looking down at Storybrooke from high on the East Mountain.

Regina had been very much conflicted over having almost kissed Emma as they left her house, but had become instantly relieved to see the yellow Volkswagen bug waiting for them on Mifflin Street. Her criticisms about the car had caused Emma to roll her eyes, as usual, and that had put Regina, and Henry further at ease. Still though, the older woman tried to be ever mindful that there was an evil entity living inside Henry's other mother and it was up to her to figure out how to extract it.

 _Merlin._ They had to find Merlin.

"My creation…" Regina turned at the sound of Emma coming up from behind and standing beside her. The blonde made a sweeping gesture to her home's impeccable decor around them and then pointed out the window. "… Overlooking _your_ creation."

A tenuous smile greeted Emma as Regina looked out at the town again. "The view is beautiful."

"Yeah…" Green eyes were focused solely on the dark haired woman, "… it is."

Try as she might to keep from smiling, the corners of the mayor's mouth twitched and her tongue had to be bitten to muster up some semblance of control. The New Dark One's pursuit of her should be daunting. It was definitely puzzling, but it was also thrilling.

"I take it Henry's already got a video game controller glued to his hand."

"Oh yeah." Emma laughed and looked out the window, rocking back and forth while being superiorly pleased with herself. Originally planning to let Henry choose his own room and styling, she had come up with an idea that would please everyone, hoping to impress Henry and Regina in the process.

After having given them the tour of the large living room, spacious kitchen, and gym, Emma had paused outside a closed door in the hallway leading to the bedrooms.

" _Henry… This is for you." When she pushed the door open, Henry's jaw immediately dropped for it was decorated befitting a comic book and video game enthusiast._

" _No way!" His drawn out exclamation made Emma smile so widely that her dimples cut deeply into her cheeks, and Regina's heart clenched at the sight of both of their gleeful expressions._

 _Along one wall was a large entertainment unit with every video game console on the market along with a huge 47 inch television and a DVD player. There were comic book characters painted on the walls and a full size bed stood over a desk with a brand new laptop. Henry was standing in his own slice of Heaven and Regina had to step outside because she could no longer watch him be so excited and feel the anxiousness at telling him he might not be able to stay here. She didn't want to know how Emma would react either._

 _Apprehension began to needle at her as she stepped up to the large high-ceiling-to-floor living room window in front of the colossal black leather chair that looked more like a comfortable throne than another living room piece._

"Lost in thought, Your Majesty?"

"I was just thinking about how excited he is. You've made him very happy, Emma."

"I like making him happy." Emma came a little closer. "I like making you happy too."

Regina didn't know what to say to that so she kept quiet and looked outside again.

"I think he'll like it here." Emma inhaled and grinned pleased with the night so far.

Regina's expression falter, darting her eyes in concern and as she was about to broach the subject of Henry sleeping over, the younger woman took her hand.

"Come here. I want to show you something."

Emma led her down the hallway again passed Henry's room to the closed door of the room adjacent to his, all the while their hands remained clasped. They could hear their teenager's excited whoops of victory as he had most likely demolished the foe he'd been battling on screen.

Turning the knob and swinging the door inward, a spacious bedroom was revealed with an enormous inviting bed in the center. It drew Regina's attention immediately.

"Is this your bedroom?"

The blonde chuckled shaking her head. "My room is further down and _my_ bed is twice the size."

Regina gaped at that bit of information. _Twice the size?!_ A bemused crinkle marked her brow. "I don't understand then. Is this a guest room?"

Emma nonchalantly shrugged. "It's _your_ room."

After the initial surprise stole across the queen's face, shock had set in and she glanced around again and then at Emma, dumbfounded.

"Well, I knew you might have reservations of Henry sleeping over… alone… with the Dark One, so I figured you could stay over with him."

Regina was all together impressed with Emma's intuition. "How did you…" but Emma was already guiding her into the room while still holding her hand.

"Because I _know_ you, Regina."

After a pause and a glance at the rooms generous amenities, Regina explained, "I wasn't trying to keep him from you."

"I know that." Emma stroked the inside of the brunette's palm setting the tendons in her hand ablaze. "We both love him, Regina. Henry is everything."

Tilting her head to study the blonde she said. "You really mean that, don't you?" She hadn't meant to say it quite like that, but Regina was mystified by the New Dark One's sincere devotion. She had known that Henry was important to Emma before, but the Dark One's power and magic consumed Rumple so much that he put it before his own son, Baelfire. Had the darkness not taken her over completely yet? Or was this all a part of an elaborate plan for seduction?

"Regina… nothing is more important to me than Henry."

Her declaration was said with such steadfast commitment that Regina couldn't help but squeeze Emma's hand in gratitude, relief and something akin to affection. Henry's voice sounded behind them and he was glancing around at the room.

"Whoa! Whose room is this?"

Dropping each other's hands quickly, Emma crossed her arms and smiled, "It's Regina's. For when you both spend the night… or weekend."

The mayor's eyebrow curved upwards at that last bit, but she noticed the instant relief cross her son's face, knowing that he wouldn't be staying in the Dark One's lair as a guest by himself. Regina watched her spiked heel swivel on the gorgeous hardwood floor and relented, knowing for Henry's sake she could do this. It was the only thing to do knowing how much Henry loved his other mother and how much he enjoyed spending time with her. She could labor through a weekend here and there with Emma. At least until she could figure out how to save the savior.

[X]

They dined at the immense heavy rustic looking table. Emma and Regina sat opposite one another with Henry sitting between them. The young teen cut into his thick juicy steak with gusto, smiling and talking animatedly while he did it. Upon hearing that Henry hadn't had much of an appetite since her disappearance, she wanted to make sure he was served all his favorites.

Looking across the table, Emma found Regina slicing the fat off the edge of her meat and moving it off to the side. She had never seen the mayor tackle such an enormous chunk of beef before and grinned at the thought that the woman was probably considering the state of her arteries, though Emma knew firsthand that the queen did not have to worry about her figure.

Wiping her mouth, Emma reached for her wine. "How's the food? Good?"

Henry spoke up excitedly while chewing, "This is awesome! I love steak!"

"I know…" Emma winked at him and then directed her question to Regina, "Is the queen not satisfied with her steak?"

"Steak?" Regina looked up at her in stupefied regard. "This is not a steak. This is a whole half a _steer_ on my plate!"

Henry set his knife down and dug into his baked potato, loaded with chives and sour cream. "This is really good, Ma. Mom doesn't cook steak enough."

"Because _Mom_ is looking out for our cholesterol levels." Regina admonished but with a smirk. "And don't talk with your mouth full." She hesitantly ate a morsel of steak off her fork and her eyebrows lifted in surprised delight at the tenderness and flavor of the meat.

Yeah, Emma decided. The queen was enjoying it but, as usual, would not admit to it. She sipped her wine and contemplated the woman in front of her. They had bonded in the bedroom, much to Emma's pleasure and she hoped that Regina knew that her intentions were sincere. Though the idea of having her here was very appealing, there was nothing untoward in Emma's motivations for creating a bedroom for Henry's other mom.

Contrary to her initial fear the first night she was summoned back, Emma realized that she could trust Regina and that no one was going to keep her from their son. While the two women may not always see eye to eye, they understood one another, and if the shoe were on the other foot, Emma would be just as hesitant for Henry's safety.

Regina looked up and her food froze halfway to her mouth when she caught Emma staring. Their hands moved together at the same slow speed; Emma bringing her wine glass to her lips and Regina bringing a potato laden fork to her mouth. Both women were perfectly in sync and gazing at one another considerably.

"So Ma, did you cook all this by yourself?"

"Hm…" Her focus snagged away from the bewitching woman on the other side of the table, she set her wine glass down, scooped up a bite and said to Henry, "No, I whisked Gordon Ramsey in and threatened the lives of his entire family if he didn't make me a 3-course meal."

There was choking coming from Regina's side and she lifted her gaze to discover the woman grabbing her wine glass and moving the napkin, pressed to her mouth, away to take a relieving sip.

"I was _kidding_ , Regina," she rolled her eyes, shook her head at Henry and gestured to the brunette as if to say, "Sheesh!" Henry smiled back and ate more potato. "Eat your carrots and broccoli too. I've already got the mark of the Dark One to my name. I can't be a bad parental role model too." She pointed to his plate. "Vegetables, kid, vegetables." With a deeply smug smirk she jibed at Regina, "See? We can raise this kid together. No problem." She took a bite of steak and winked at the older mom, leaving her sputtering and unsettled.

Regina pressed the cloth napkin to her lips and cleared her throat. Glancing at Henry's wide grin, she found a new look that she had never seen on his face before. Presumption. She gave a wane smile to the table's two other occupants and pondered that while it did seem like a joyful, optimistic moment and an ideal situation; both women being under the same roof talking of raising their son together, Miss Swan was still the Dark One and Regina would do well to remember that and she needed to remind her son of that as well.

"Emma, I'm a little curious." She watched in displeasure as the blonde added another dollop of sour cream to her own potato and then added bacon bits on top of that. Her frown deepened when Henry silently offered her his plate and Emma scooped some onto his potato as well. _There go the good cholesterol levels!_ "After you disappeared that night, where did you go, do you remember?"

Emma looked up and chewed slowly, and then licked her lips before wiping her mouth. "I woke up naked and alone. It was dark." She looked to Henry who was paying some attention, but still enjoying his food. "I… don't really know where I was, but it felt like a… cave. It was dark, dank and I was shivering."

"Do you remember any sounds?"

 _Besides the screaming?_ Emma looked to Henry and wondered whether she should continue but her son, the heart of the truest believer, was smarter than an average kid his age and with a heart of a lion too. He had been through a sleeping curse, weathered a burning room and Peter Pan in Neverland. He could handle this.

"Screaming. Just loud screaming. It almost sounded familiar, but almost not. I don't know. I couldn't tell if it was day, night… I don't know how long I was there or if I was dead. Then the next thing I know I am being pulled out and I am sitting on a chair in your study."

Regina was chewing on the inside of her cheek in that cute way she does when she was being pensive and trying to piece a puzzle together. Again, the savior took a swig of her wine and thought of how much cuter that look would be up close while she held the mayor in her arms.

"Hey Ma," Henry interrupted her romantic thoughts and she beamed at him, "What's for dessert?" She dropped her eyes to the place setting in front of him and realized that Henry's plate was nearly empty. A quick glance at Regina told her that his older mother had noticed too and was grinning happily from ear to ear. Emma would do practically anything to make Regina continue to smile like that.

The younger mom leaned closer to her son to share in his excitement. "White chocolate panna cotta with raspberry sauce."

"Are you serious?" That surprisingly came from Regina and not from Henry, which startled Emma a little, but she smirked wickedly anyway. The ravenous look that overtook the woman's face suddenly made Emma very jealous of the Italian cream dessert.

"Does the queen like panna cotta?"

Regina's lips spread and she replied, "The queen tried panna cotta once in Boston and liked it very much."

"It's been _that_ long? Really?"

"Well, the actual name of the dessert slipped my mind, until you mentioned it just now."

Emma spied Regina's plate and teased in Henry's direction, "Should we make the queen eat all _her_ vegetables?" Regina's eyebrows raised up in a chucklesome manner and her eyes crinkled as she could not contain her amusement.

"Naw," Henry laughed. "She's always eating vegetables. It's kind of cool knowing that I've eaten all mine and she hasn't." Mother and son shared a laugh at the other mother's expense, and Emma got up to serve the dessert all the while Regina shook her head and looked off to the side in merriment.

Emma couldn't remember the last time they had had this much fun together.

[X]

It had been a lovely evening and Regina could not recall the last time she so enjoyed spending time out with someone, not even Robin. Immediately, she chastised herself for that thought, because this was a little different. This was not a date. Bringing the hot cup of coffee to her mouth and frowning into the fire while lounging on Emma's black leather couch, she reminded herself this was not a date, no matter how much it felt like one.

Emma sat in the chair adjacent, looking sideways at the glowing embers and when she turned to Regina she smiled cozily. "This is nice."

"Yes. It is."

"I am glad you enjoyed the panna cotta, Regina. I don't think I have ever seen you devour something with such abject pleasure. It was…" Emma searched for a word and donned a mischievous look, "… spellbinding… to watch you _savor_ it."

There was sexual implication behind the tone of those last words and Regina shook her head, grinning down into her cup. The blonde's lavish flirtations continued to send tingles racing along her spine.

"Why are you trying to seduce me, Emma?" She hadn't planned to be so honest or voice her thought out loud but Regina needed to know what was happening. Was this Emma or the darkness talking?

"I thought the answer to that would be obvious."

"Spell it out for me."

The savior propped herself on her leg and leaned against the arm rest holding her mug. "I _want_ you, Regina." The queen's fingers tightened around the handle of her mug and she inhaled slowly to calm the now quick palpitations in her chest. "Does that freak you out?"

Regina knew what Emma was really asking; whether the idea of being with a _woman_ "freaked" Regina out. Taking a cautious sip from her cup, Regina took a quick moment to mull over her reply. After all, the queen was nothing if not clever.

She decided a simple "No" would suffice and once uttered, she witnessed the green of Emma's eyes smolder at her answer. The desirous once-over the blonde gave Regina's body burned hotter than the dancing flames in the hearth and the queen was suddenly beside herself with yearning. She cleared her throat and pinned Emma with an inquisitive stare. "So this is just a _sexual_ thing then?" If this was just sexual, Regina thought that perhaps she could handle that; an arrangement where the rules were clear and understood. However, the inexplicable disappointment she felt that this might only be a casual proposition could not be erased.

Emma shrunk backwards and a line formed on her forehead. She opened her mouth to speak and then faced front silent.

The older woman blinked at her for a few moments waiting and when Emma was still quiet, Regina drank the last of her coffee and got up from the couch, startling the blonde.

"Well, I've had a lovely evening, Emma, but Henry and I need to be heading back," she said, walking to the kitchen and setting her empty mug by the sink. When she turned around, Emma was right there blocking her escape, hands on the counter on either side of her waist. The brunette gazed down an arm and back up to gauge the woman who was coming ever closer.

She was captivated by the savior's pleading look and the woman's lips looked delectable. Her own parted in anticipation but Emma suddenly stopped, a tortured look flit across her face and then she kissed, not Regina's lips but, the cheek at the corner of her mouth, lingering there as if to cherish the touch. The older woman's hands went to Emma's shoulders while the savior's were at her waist and those soft sensuous lips moved across Regina's cheek to her ear.

"Regina…" Emma begged, imploring acceptance as she placed soft kisses over a throbbing pulse point and drawing an earlobe into her warm wet mouth. The queen's breathing became erratic and her arms wrapped around Emma, hugging the woman to her while that tongue tormented her and made her think of other places on her body she wished that mouth could be.

"Emma..." she panted as she felt one of the savior's hands cupping her bottom and the other on her breast. _Oh my God!_ Things were moving too fast and at the same time, oddly, not fast enough.

Burying itself in blonde hair, Regina's hand pressed Emma snugly against her, coaxing the woman to continue her sensual ministrations, sucking and flicking at her heated flesh. A whimper sounded from the queen when Emma's thumb brushed across her already hardening nipple.

"Christ, Regina," was mumbled into her neck and Emma thrust against her once. "So hot." The hand at her breast traveled downward and rested on her thigh for a brief moment before it started to bunch the material of her dress up.

Regina's mind was screaming in alarm that maybe she should stop. That maybe this was too much too soon, but she wanted Emma fiercely and she smiled when she felt the bottom hem of her dress reach her upper thigh.

"Moms!" The exclamation was like getting doused with a bucket of ice water and they both froze. "I totally cleared the next level! Holy shit! Uh… I mean… CRAP… or shoot!"

Luckily Henry was yelling it from his room and Regina was relieved that he didn't walk in on them. How could she… they... forget he was there too?

Emma had the same dumbstruck look on her face as she drew slowly away. She let go of the woman's dress and gave her a final soft kiss on the cheek, before stepping back completely.

"Henry…" Regina's voice cracked as she was still very much aroused. "We're leaving."

As they heard him padding out toward them, Emma was leaning against the kitchen island, brooding and Regina smoothed her dress out and calmly collected herself.

"Aww, Mom. Can't we stay the night?"

"No, I'm afraid not." Regina visibly gulped. Being in a bed with Emma just down the hall was not a good idea tonight. It's not that she didn't trust the woman. She wasn't sure she could trust herself right now.

"Your mom's right, Henry. Tonight's not a good night, but some other time, okay?" She placed a hand on the back of his neck and pulled him in closer to her. As she kissed his temple, her gaze met Regina's and they both knew that an invisible line had just been crossed and there was no going back now.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER SUMMARY:** Emma finally has a talk with her mother and Regina gives Belle a much needed break from watching over her an unconscious Gold.

* * *

 _"Emma no!"_

 _The screaming. So much screaming. She was surrounded by darkness. Faces swirled around her, sometimes distorted and fraught with pain. The shrill fearful tortured scream beckoned for her to save them._

 _Emma felt helpless._

 _"No!" Was that Henry's voice? "Stop it, Ma! You're killing her! Mom! Mom!"_

Emma sprung awake with a horrified yell, wet with perspiration and gasping for breath. Her wide eyes took in her surroundings. The wooden walls of her bedroom coming into focus in the nearly departing darkness of dawn. Moving slightly, she felt the uneasy tension in her body and her muscles ached as she realized they were from her thrashing in her sleep.

Throwing her covers aside she rose from the bed completely naked and slowly traipsed across her bedroom to the large floor-to-ceiling window and stood before it. She wished Regina was here; wished that she was in the next room if not in bed beside her. Oddly enough it wasn't about sex, or well not in that moment. There was a powerful need just to be near her, touching her… _protecting her?_

A lone tear slowly trickled down her cheek and she pressed her palms against the glass peering out into the darkness.

 _Regina, what are you doing right now?_ She imagined that Henry's other mother was in bed. _Please be alone._

Emma placed her forehead against the cool glass willing the temperature to seep into her and chill the burning jealousy she felt at imagining Regina in bed with Robin. Her jaw clenched painfully and she fought the urge to do something terrible. It was getting harder to fight the darkness. Feelings of rage, jealousy, bitterness… they were all swirling around inside her head, threatening to engulf her.

 ** _Kill him._**

"No."

 ** _You want to kill him. Wipe that smug grin off his face._**

Grinding her back teeth, she gulped hard and shut her eyes tightly against the murderous urges she was having.

 ** _He's a shrub! Kill him and be done with it. Then, you can have her all to yourself._**

Emma's lips parted in an almost sensual manner as her eyes glassed over with a homicidal lust. This was the worst she had ever felt it. The desire to kill. She tried to shake the feeling.

 ** _Breaking his neck would be like snapping a twig. You need not even touch him._**

Her outstretched fingers flexed on the cold glass and she bumped her head once roughly against it. _Regina, Henry_. Thoughts of them usually helped bring her back into focus.

 ** _Do yourself a favor and KILL him. No one will miss him._**

Suddenly an image of little Roland popped into her mind, smiling with those cute dimples. People had told her she had cute dimples as a child, though not cute enough to adopt apparently.

Roland would miss his father. Roland who had no mother. Roland who would then be an orphan, like she had been.

 ** _KILL him. Take his heart. Crush it. And the Queen will be ours._**

"NO!" Her scream echoed through the house as she turned and fell, sitting scrunched up into a ball against the window with her head in her hands, her fingers pulling at the hair at her temples, every muscle in her body tense.

 _Regina. Henry. Regina._

Emma rested her forehead between her knees and wept.

[X]

Swinging the glass door of the Sheriff's station open, Emma stomped through looking more ragged and tired than she did yesterday morning and her employees could see that her complexion was paler.

One of her deputies, Smitty, stopped with a deer in the headlight look.

"Smitty!"

"Uh… Morning, Sheriff." His face turned ghost white with fear and where Emma would have been concerned before she felt a stab of pleasure to generate such nervous fright. He kept looking into the main room and back at Emma.

"Why does it sound like a ghost town in there? Where is everyone?"

"Uh… Uh… Uh…"

Out of nowhere impatience spiked and Emma threatened. "I can take your tongue if you want a speech impediment."

"Leave him _alone_ , Emma."

The dark one's head whipped around the corner and at her father's desk, sat instead all by her lonesome, was Mary Margaret, holding the framed photo of the Charming family that David kept on the desk, taken some months ago. David, Mary Margaret and Emma who was holding her baby brother, Neal.

The air was quiet and still for a moment before Emma ordered, "Out," to her deputy, not even sparing him a glance. She sauntered in to the room measuring the dark short haired woman up and down.

"You were going to have to talk to me sometime."

Emma saw both love and hope behind guarded eyes. It was the love she saw that unnerved her, but the blonde raised her chin opposingly. "Mom." She chucked the Volkswagen's keys onto a desk and proceeded closer. "How come you're not at work?"

Mary Margaret replaced the photo on the desk's corner with a snort. "I'm on _forced_ sabbatical. Apparently the town's parents have issues with the mother of the Dark One teaching their children. I'm _guilty_ just for popping you out of my womb."

Emma's eyes darted down and off to the side and back at Mary Margaret. She knew her mother loved teaching but she wasn't going to feel guilty about this.

Mary Margaret eyed her daughter and there was a fleeting smile that passed through her features. "I told them to fu…" It was as if the woman suddenly remembered herself, "… _fudge_ off."

Emma couldn't help the grin from blooming on her face. She imagined in the heat of anger, mild-mannered Mary Margaret Blanchard indeed used the real F-word and she wished she had been there to see their faces.

"You're _still_ my daughter."

Emma's smile disappeared. "Of course I am. It's still _me."_ _Just with an evil entity living inside me._ Emma crossed her arms and lifted a leg to sit on the corner of an adjacent desk. "Is that what you came here for? To make sure I was still here?" There was a bitter edge to her next words. "The prodigal daughter? That the _savior_ was still intact?"

"Emma… You make it sound so…"

"Grand, imposing, _heroic…"_

"…like that was all you were to us."

Emma raised a doubtful eyebrow and opened her mouth but Mary Margaret's jaw tightened and she narrowed her eyes, angered by the thought that her daughter could think such a thing.

"You weren't." The vehemence in her mother's eyes shouldn't have been so surprising but the hurt in them were and it jarred Emma.

The blonde's chest heaved with a large weary sigh and then she nodded. "Ok. Now what?"

"I… honestly don't know. How do you feel?"

 _Like I'm losing my mind and I want to go on a murdering spree._ "Ok."

"I heard you broke up with Killian."

That earned a derisive snort from Emma. "I heard the bastard got drunk at the Rabbit Hole and now everyone _knows_ I broke up with him in detail. A pirate and his rum. For fuck's sake." She grinned at Mary Margaret's cringe at the cuss word.

"I thought you loved him."

"I…" _What?_ "I thought I loved him, but I was wrong and misspoke."

"You _misspoke_ …"

Emma rolled her eyes and shrugged. "I thought I might die at the time. Sorry if my thoughts were a little scrambled."

"Where I come from the word _love_ isn't to be taken lightly."

"Where you come from, crazy people burst into song at any moment and wolves blow houses down."

"He's hurt, Emma." Mary Margaret put up a hand, "Don't misunderstand. I'm a little relieved it's over but, it was a bit cold how you handled it, wasn't it?"

Emma leaned forward, forearm on her thigh. "I prefer to think of it as blunt honesty. I can't help it if the truth hurts."

"And Regina?"

Emma narrowed her eyes in scrutiny. Killian was an easy subject where Regina was not and she became instantly defensive. "What about Regina?"

"People talk, Emma."

"People should mind their own business."

"Are you interested in Regina?"

The end of Emma's lip curled up in a salacious smirk. "That's one way of putting it. I am _very_ interested in Regina."

"As more than friends…"

"Obviously…"

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why the blatant interest in Regina all of a sudden?" Mary Margaret studied her daughter but Emma could tell there was also a protectiveness for… a friend.

"You think I'm going to hurt Regina."

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to." Emma became angry and she could feel the tips of her fingers itch with the thrum of dark magic wanting to be unleashed. She had to check it. She had to calm herself.

"Emma, you're my daughter. I see you in there, but you're also the Dark One." Mary Margaret stood and Emma was impressed with her mother's challenging gait. "I think it's natural to wonder if perhaps it's not the Dark One who wants the Queen… for something."

The smirk Emma wore turned into a full on leer as she crossed her arms and shot her mother an entirely indecent look. "She's _wanted_ for many things. Not that it's any of your business, mommy dearest, but yes, I am planning on bedding Regina." She was satisfied as Mary Margaret's look faltered. "And whatever happens will be between Regina and myself."

"Regina has been dragged through enough darkness. I won't see her put through it again."

The muscles in Emma's jaw tightened. "Oh yes, the path you helped put her on with your big mouth." Where did that come from? "Did you ever stop to wonder whether _all_ this is _your_ fault?"

"Emma!"

Emma felt she was crossing a line but she couldn't stop, didn't want to, and yet she knew it was wrong. "You put yourself pretty high on that pedestal, don't you? The ever-heroic Charmings, benevolent rulers. Maybe it's your fault that I am who I am now." The Dark One hopped off the corner of the desk coming menacingly closer to the former Princess of the White Kingdom. "I'm here because of you! This is all _your_ fault."

With the look Mary Margaret wore, Emma might as well have just slapped her. The dark haired woman visibly gulped and her eyes became glassy and moist.

It was then that Emma felt remorse and her look softened. She didn't know what possessed her to say those things. Actually, she knew exactly what made her say them: anger, impatience, resentment… the darkness.

She recoiled backwards and took in her mother's pained expression. "Mom, I…"

She didn't get to finish as there was a loud shuffle at the front of the building and David ran in looking disheveled like he had been in a rush to get dressed and come to work though his shift didn't start until the afternoon.

He halted as he saw them and Emma could detect that he was upset and bothered. "Emma," he greeted simply with a head nod and as if losing composure he directed a withering gaze at his wife. "I got your note. I specifically told you not to come down here alone."

"Are you afraid I'd hurt her, Dad?" Which in a way was what she had done.

"I… didn't know what to think."

"I'm fine, David," Mary Margaret said and she made her way passed Emma and stopped looking her dead in the eye. "I'm _not_ a perfect mother. I learned _my_ mother wasn't," and she raised her chin defiantly, "… and neither are _you_. All parents make mistakes. But I _will_ protect the ones I love." Mary Margaret gave her a measuring look and nodded, "Including you, Emma. _Always_."

Emma continued to look straight ahead as Mary Margaret walked swiftly passed her and as she turned she watched her parents leave the station together, united as always, and Emma found it fascinating that her mother not only vowed to protect her, but Regina as well.

Things really had come a long way between them.

[X]

"Is he awake? Any change?" Regina closed the door of Gold's Pawn Shop and approached the counter where a haggard Belle hunched over a large worn out book with tattered pages.

Straightening and flipping her dark auburn curls over her shoulder, Belle managed with a sigh. "No. No change."

Inspecting the woman in front of her, Regina noticed the dark circles under Belle's light colored eyes, which Regina had thought were once green, but looked blue now. Emma eyes were similar in that they changed color also. Sometimes they reminded Regina of the sky, while other times they were the color of a tranquil sea that would turn stormy when Emma's mood changed. _Emma._

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts of the person that had been occupying them the most recently, Regina tilted her head and stated what she thought was the obvious, "You look terrible, Belle."

The woman snorted back at her with an eye-roll, "Thank you, Regina. My husband is in a coma and I don't know whether he's going to live or die, but let me take a moment to freshen up and put my party dress on for you."

Regina bit the side of her tongue to keep her smile in check. Yet another reminder that the bookworm had some bite in her, but Regina would rather deal with an annoyed Belle than a disconsolate one. Regina wasn't exactly the hopeful _cheerleader_ that Mary Margaret was.

"I just meant that you look a little undernourished and exhausted. You're not going to do him any good or be able to take care of him if you don't take care of yourself."

With a tired huff, Belle slouched and admitted, "Yes, I know."

"Have you even eaten today?"

"Well," a sorry expression passed across her face as Belle chewed her bottom lip guiltily, "… just a couple of crackers."

"A couple of crackers?" Regina gaped at the librarian and shook her head. "What are you? A parrot?"

At once, Belle jerked her head back offended. "As I said, I have had other things on my mind."

"Yes, well it's about time you got out and at least gotten some sustenance. "Fresh air, sunshine, _food."_

"Regina, I appreciate the concern, really, but I'll be okay."

"You know what day it is?" When Belle's brow furrowed in confusion, Regina leaned on the counter smirking, "It's Western Bacon Cheesburger Day at Granny's." Regina saw the flickering sparkle of hunger flit across those eyes, but Belle suddenly pulled back and grimaced.

"Surely, you're not suggesting I choose between my husband and a hamburger."

Regina leaned closer, "A quarter-pound angus beef patty, on a sesame seed bun with cheddar cheese, two crispy strips of bacon and two thick onion rings with barbecue sauce running down your fingers. Fresh lettuce, tomato…" Regina could have sworn she heard Belle's stomach growl, "…and thick cut French fries." Did Belle just whimper? The poor woman was positively starved. "Go. Get yourself something to eat. Sit and talk with people for just a while. I'll be here with him."

Belle raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Leave _you_ here with him."

"He's no good to me passed out, Belle." Regina smiled, "You can trust me."

"Uh-huh. The last time we were in this shop alone together, you took my heart." Belle crossed her arms and shot Regina a pointed look.

Exasperated, Regina lost her composure for a moment and looked skyward and glared at Belle. "You _knew_ what I was going to do! We had talked about it in detail and you agreed. But in the forest, I told you to forget about it." Regina looked Belle up and down mockingly, "I should have known a _bookworm_ like you would take it so literally."

Belle shook her head, "I can't leave him Regina. What if he were to wake up and I wasn't here?"

Regina sympathetically nodded her head in understanding and summoning her magic, she waved her hands over the counter and in a swirl of smoke there appeared a shining shimmering rose standing encased in glass. Regina grabbed the large nylon handle strapped to the glass sides and held it up to show Belle.

"This rose symbolizes his state. As long as the petals are intact, he's fine. If the rose opens and blooms, he's awake."

"A rose… really?"

"Haven't you see the cartoon, Beauty & the Beast?" Regina shrugged, "I thought you'd get a kick out of it." She watched Belle roll her eyes, but there was an upturned curl to her lips. "Now, go get something to eat."

Belle diagonally slipped the strap over her head and wore the light glass and rose like a bag and she looked down at it. "If even one petal falls, I am coming back."

"I would expect nothing less."

There was a moment of silence before Belle looked up and said, "Thank you, Regina." Still not used to people thanking her for anything, Regina tightened her lips and nodded. "I'll be back in about an hour."

"Okay."

Belle gave Regina one last cursory look and left the shop and Regina looked around the room in her absence. Along the shelves were stacked many artifacts and antiques from the old world, some she recognized seeing before, others she thought she might have read about, but she wasn't here to shop.

Walking through the curtain into the back room, she found Gold lying on a settee looking very at peace and she clenched her jaw at the irony, that he may be the only one at peace in this town. She brought a stool over and sat down next to him.

"Oh, the times I wished for a moment like this." She looked all along his form. "It would be so easy to squeeze the life out of you." Taking a casual glance around the room, she returned to him and continued, "But as it is, I find that I need you to wake up because I need your help."

She expelled a brief helpless laugh into the air. "I need your help. You… who made me who I am." Regina looked down at her hands. "Who I was. And now, in a way, Emma is who she is because of you…" Regina looked away, "… and _me_. She sacrificed herself for _me_. Damn it! I told her _not_ to! I told her to stop!" More laughter into the air, "Why doesn't that woman ever listen to me?"

He didn't move and Regina wondered whether he could even hear her. He looked like a shell of a man rather than the Dark One she knew.

Regina let her thoughts drift to Emma. Emma who had told her she had wanted her. Emma who had shown her _how_ much she wanted her. She could still feel the exhilaration of having her back pressed against Emma's kitchen counter as the blonde fondled her. Regina's budding desire had been stoked with each caress of a fingertip, and she felt her center clench thinking of how her earlobe had been sucked and nibbled by the blonde. Just that contact alone had garnered more lust and want than several of Robin's enamored kisses. She hadn't given him a passing thought that night with Emma, though Emma always seemed to be in the back of her mind at all times, somewhere, never completely forgotten.

"I am so confused," the brunette began aloud but then stopped. If Gold could hear her, this was something she didn't want to share with him: her feelings for Emma Swan.

"Everyone is looking to me. For answers, expectations… I don't know what to do." Frustration was threatening to take her over so to alleviate the build-up she allowed a little irritation to spill forth. "Wake up! Damn you!"

The crinkle in her forehead cut a little deeper as she reluctantly leaned forward and spoke in unusual sincerity with this man that she had quite an extensive evil history with. "I need you to answer my questions, so that I can save Emma."


End file.
